Looking for some feedback from folks using a 12.9" iPad Pro or Retina Macbook Air as their roon remote. I can’t decide between the two. Whatever I pick will be in a dedicated room and only serve the purpose of a roon remote.
I like the idea of a 12.9" iPad Pro for the display. I like the macbook air for the full sized keyboard and trackpad in case I want to surf the web while listening to music.
What do you guys recommend?
Just as a point of reference, I have a Dell XPS 15 laptop, iPad Mini 4, and iPhone 6S Plus that can all serve as my Roon control device. I much much prefer using the laptop. There are no down sides as far as I’m concerned.
I use a 13" MacBook Pro as my remote almost exclusively. It works great for me - working, surfing, whatever at the same time as listening to music. I’m not so keen on using my iPad as remote, I just prefer the experience on a laptop. Core is on a headless Mac Mini in the home office/junk room.
Thanks. I’ve been using a 9.7" iPad, and its been fine. It’s just that typing anything is a slight pain and it can get annoying to hold after a while. First world problems no doubt.
I have both an iPad Pro (10.5”) and a MacBook Air. I only use the iPad as my remote: it’s easier to hold and handle, has much longer battery life, and I can use the pro detachable keyboard any time I really need to do some typing, but also set the keyboard aside for less weight when I need to.
I got an IPAD PRO 12.9 for Christmas that serves as the dedicated remote for my LR surround system zone and the Kitchen zone. I still use my PC in the bedroom zone for relaxed music searches but the IPAD is primary for the other end of the house.
I highly recommend the iPad Pro. I’ve been using various versions for years since I first subscribe to Roon back when it was in its beta form. I use it to surf the web, read email, light word processing, videos, etc. while listening to music. Just get a pop-up case like the pad and quill or dodocase cases to hold the iPad. They look fabulous and work great for multitasking in addition to using it for roon!
D
Bottom line, I think it’s whatever fits your use case best. Do you prefer using a laptop or tablet? How will you be using it and what else will you be doing at the time? Either will work well.
Its a dedicated stereo room, so the only thing I’ll be doing is controlling the roon core, surfing web, checking social media/email. Either option would work equally fine. I ordered a 2020 Macbook Air off Amazon so we’ll see how it goes!
That statement excludes the ability to surf the web…but either will work as a web interface too… it really comes down to cost and weight, so nobody here can answer you as its a rather personal issue to solve.
if its 90% roon then I would opt the iPad - personally I have a laptop that remains as a desktop 90% of the time…ipad in use all over the place for many things, roon is one of them
ordering from other than apple stores foregoes the 14 day no questions asked money back that apple offers. sound like you have made your bed now might have to sleep on it.
Been using a 12.9" Ipad pro (2019) as Roon Control for some time, works great and no desire to go back to using PC as Control. Using Windows 10 with Fidelizer Pro as Roon Server streaming to Bluesound Node 2i primarily listening to Tidal Masters. Extremely happy with quality and convenience of current setup. Much prefer iPad to previous setup of two PCs (one control and other as Core with USB connection to DAC).
I have a house full of these bloody apple products. iPhone, iPads, MacBook Pro, etc… I use whatever device I have with me at the moment for the remote. They all work equally well.
The one thing i find interesting is that if you use an iPhone, it ONLY works in vertical orientation; iPad ONLY in horizontal. Not a big deal with the computer (obviously horizontal only), but if I’m using an iPad, I usually use it in vertical orientation, for whatever reason. So I have to rotate it to use Roon.
So, I guess for you, I’d think about what else you might use the device for. If email, and typing, you might find the keyboard is more convenient/comfortable. If for a kindle or book reader, maybe the ipad is better. Surfing the web? Might not matter, but might depend on the sites you visit.
I use my phone probably 75% of the time for the control, just because it’s always on my person. But if i’m on a different device, Roon’s installed on all my gear, so I just use what’s in front of me. I love that it can shake hands with everything.
For me, if I could only pick one device (besides my phone), I’d pick the MacBook Air, no question.
Use the iPad! Touch screen is ideal way to browse information in Roon. You’ll get immersed in the metadata much more easily, discover more new music, its just a better interaction.
And then if you throw an Android tablet in the mix that will only run portrait as well and not landscape.
As to the OP - blimey I wish I could afford a 12.9" iPad Pro to run exclusively as a remote! Personally I don’t see the point but each to their own. As per @terzinator I just use whichever device I have to hand - it works equally well on all of them…
I find the iPad to be a superior content consumption device. I don’t find it helping in my ability to create content. If you’re using it as a remote and reading device I’d stick with it.
If you’re reading ends-up turning into hours of typing and responding on forums then you’ll want the keyboard on the MBA. Of course, for the occasional post the onscreen keyboard works well and when it doesn’t any of the case keyboards work OK as well.
Consumption - iPad
Content Creation - MBA
My laptop battery was running low so I took it inside to charge and got my iPad. Now I remember why I prefer the laptop. This is a choice only the op can make.
I’ll go with 2019 iPad Pro 12.9 it’s convenient and shows all the necessary details. I use in my work space my Mac book, but on my bench the iPad is king.
Regards
Tom
I use a 2011 MacBook Air.
Old School. 